


Working It Out

by SallyRose



Category: Melrose Place 1992
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2018-01-03 10:25:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1069381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SallyRose/pseuds/SallyRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I didn’t like that the writers ruined Jane and Jo’s friendship in season 4. Instead of when Jane punches Jo, Jo just doesn’t stand there and take it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Working It Out

Jo knocks on Jane’s door. Jane opens it and glares at Jo. 

Jo is aware of Jane’s anger toward her but ignores it. “Hi Jane. We need to talk, we’re still friends.”

“No Jo. We WERE friends!” Jane angrily states back. 

Jane swings a fist but Jo sees it coming, ducking out of reach as Jane slams her fist into empty air. Jane tries to throw another punch at Jo, but Jo ducks again and grabs Jane’s arm.

“Stop it, Jane! Stop acting crazy and calm down!” Jo shouts as she makes attempts to hold Jane off from hitting her. 

“No! You stole Richard from me and you deserve to get your ass knocked down!” Jane shouts back as she tries to free her arm from Jo’s grasp.

Jane begins to hit Jo with her free arm and the attacks cause something inside Jo snaps as she starts to hit Jane back. The fight escalates as the two women begin hitting and slapping each other right in the middle of Jane’s living room. Both women pummel each other, intending to leave painful marks. They both fall to the floor rolling, while grunting and gasping, both grab each other’s hair and each begin to pull hard. 

Jane and Jo scream simultaneously as they pull each other’s hair and after a short moment, then they struggle to pull away from one another to catch their breath and stare at each other from their corners in the living room.

Jo is panting for breath. “My god, has it come to this?” 

Jane is also panting hard. “You started it.” She glares, her hands still itching to strike Jo repeatedly.

“I never wanted this. You need help,” replies Jo, in between her own heavy breathing as she wonders what just came over her to physical assault another person, especially over something like this.

Jane still panting, retorts back, “I think I did pretty well on my own.” 

Jane and Jo continue to stare at each other, occupied with their own emotions. Jane still hurting over Jo’s betrayal and Jo stunned at Jane being capable of being violent when pushed to her limits.

Jane and Jo slowly revert to a calmer state, as they check themselves over for their injuries. They both stiffly get up and sit across from each other at the table, Jane limps to the fridge and takes out ice for the both of them. Jane hands Jo some ice in a paper towel as she tries to find some words to say as they ice their wounds.

Jane is almost in tears. “Why Jo? Just why? You couldn’t work it out with Jake so you had to go after Richard?”

Jo shakes her head, wincing at the pain. “It never was my intention. I was angry at Jake, angry at him for getting involved with Shelly and at myself. I made too many mistakes.”

“You can say that again,” Jane replies dryly.

Jo briefly glances to Jane. “I was flattered that Richard began to pay attention to me. I saw how happy he made you while I….”

Jane finishes Jo’s trailing words, “-was miserable and had to ruin my happiness?”

Jo winces at the accusation. “I don’t know.” She stares into the air for a moment. “What would have happened if MacKenzie had survived the bomb blast? Would have it been her sitting here instead of me?”

Jane looks down and painfully shrugs. But deep down she knew better. She would have fought tooth and nail for Richard as well as to become recognized as a fashion designer at any cost.

Jane pushes a loose strand of hair from her face. “Of all I’ve been through: my divorce, bad relationships, losing my own business….I had to hold onto something and keep it no matter what. I’ve been through hell.” 

Jo inhales sharply. “You think you’re the only one frustrated with life? I killed the father of my unborn baby, fought his parents for custody, then had to fight Kimberly to get him only to give him up for adoption in the end. I really suck at relationships and should go live in a nunnery or something.”

Jane chuckles. “I should join you.” She sighs and runs a hand through her disheveled hair.

Jo manages a small smile. “It’s agreed then. We both need help.” She brushes her own messy hair back off her shoulders. Jo watches Jane’s face. “So now what? Will you and I still go on as friends?”

Jane looks down again at her hands. “I need time. You really hurt me, Jo.”

Jo glances down as well. “I know. You really hurt me, too.” 

Jo inspects her clothes that has loose threads and tears as she looks up at Jane with an almost type of awe. Jane looks at her own clothes and sees some damage and snorts. 

They share a small moment of laughter together, breaking some of the tension between them.

Jo offers a solution. “How about I quit? Would that help?”

Jane is still smiling and shrugs. “It might.” 

Another stretch of silence passes between them. Jane and Jo sigh, trying to think of what to say without any words that would offend. As they get up, feeling stiff from their aches and pains. Before walking out the door, Jo turns to Jane, handing back the used towel to her.

Jo pauses, deciding that honesty was the best response. “Your anger scared me, Jane. It really did. Last time someone hit me like that, it was Jess and while you were hitting me…it was all the bad memories of being abused coming back at once. I’m tired of it. You must be tired of the abuse too, if you were that angry enough to want to hit me. I don’t want to lose our friendship, but I won’t be your doormat.” Jo walks out.

Jane closes the door and whispers, “I’m tired of it too.” 

The tears she has been holding in finally fell.

_____________________________________________________________

By the end of the month, Jo made her decision. She walks into Hart-Mancini Designs with a formal letter to give to Richard. She knocks on his office door and lets herself in. Jane is inside, as she and Richard are going over design layouts. Jane looks up and gives Jo a raised eyebrow.

Jo places her resignation letter on the desk. “This is for you.” Jo stands and waits for Richard to unfold the letter and read it.

Richard finishes reading the letter and looks up at Jo. “Is this serious? Why do you need to quit, Jo?”

Jo looks at Jane before speaking, “I am serious and I do need to quit.” 

Richard looks down at the letter again. “But why? You do an excellent job at this company.”

Jo rolls her eyes and thinks, ‘he still doesn’t get it.’ 

“You will find another photographer,” Jo simply states.

Richard doesn’t accept her answer. “That’s not what’s important here, so give me another reason why you’re leaving.”

Jane is watching, listening as Jo continues, “I’m quitting because I have hurt Jane and need to do the right thing and that means ending our relationship, Richard. It was wrong for us to be together.”

“Look, Jo, I’m sorry if-,” Richard begins but is cut off by Jo.

“Don’t apologize to me, Richard. I’m not the one you have hurt.” She turns and begins to walk out the door; she glances one last time to smile at Jane, Jane nods and smiles back at Jo. Jo quickly exits out into the hallway.

“What was that all about?” asks Richard, still not comprehending it all.

Jane shrugs at him. “Jo obviously values her friendship with me over you and was willingly to walk away to do it.” 

Richard doesn’t look too convinced and while still observing him, something becomes obvious to Jane.

“I wonder Richard, if you could easily dump me for Jo; you could have easily dumped me for anyone that you felt offered something better.” 

Jane picks up some design layouts to go over and heads out of the office, leaving a speechless Richard behind her.

XXX


End file.
